1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of drawer slides and more particularly in the field of bottom mounted drawer slides, i.e. drawer slides wherein a first channel section is secured in horizontal position to a cabinet and a second channel section, longitudinally movably mounted to the first mentioned channel, is fixed to the undersurface of the drawer.
2. The Prior Art
Conventional slide assemblies intended for bottom mounting comprise a pair of telescopically interconnected U-shaped channel sections having antifriction means, such as ball bearings and the like, interposed therebetween to enable relative sliding movement between the channel components. The cabinet mounted or fixed component is typically fixed in position by securing the innermost end of the channel to a bracket or like fixture, which is in turn fastened to a vertical component of the cabinet. The forward end of the cabinet channel is fastened to a horizontal component of the cabinet adjacent the front or outer end of the drawer opening.
Mounting of the cabinet channel normally presents no particular problem insofar as effecting a rigid connection of the channel to the cabinet since the shell of the cabinet is generally of substantial structural strength, thereby permitting fasteners such as screws to be securely anchored therein.
Mounting of the moving channel (hereafter the drawer channel) to the drawer presents a different and more difficult problem.
Typically, a drawer, such as a wooden drawer, is provided with substantial front, rear and side panels or walls defining a rectangular enclosure. The bottom of the drawer, however, is normally comprised of a thin sheet of fiberboard or wood, the margins of which are encompassed within a continuous groove formed on the inner faces of the walls forming the rectangular enclosure. Thus, it will be perceived that due to the relatively low structural strength of the drawer bottom a secure connection between the drawer channel and the drawer bottom cannot normally be effected. While it is possible to effect a connection, particularly at the rear of the drawer, by running a screw or like fastener upwardly from the drawer channel and into the rear panel or wall of the drawer, such practice is disadvntageous in that the screw must be anchored in the end grain of the panel which, as is known, provides at best an insecure connection. Additionally, the application of a screw or the like to the end grain of a drawer panel is likely to induce cracking of the panel.
Where drawer slides of the type described are intended for use with mass produced drawers, i.e. where the distance between the rear surface of the front panel of the drawer and the rear surface of the rear panel of the drawer, is maintained within close tolerances, it is a simple matter to provide a stock or standardized drawer channel having vertically directed, integrally fixed brackets struck from the metallic material of the channel, spacing of the brackets being coordinated with the distance between the front and rear panels in such manner that the front face of the forward bracket will lie adjacent the rear face of the front panel of the drawer when the front face of the rear bracket lies against the rear face of the rear panel of the drawer.
It will be readily recognized that a stock construction as described is not adaptable for attachment to drawers of a variety of depths.